If you’re planning a trip to Rome next year, chances are high that you’ve seen and heard a lot of chatter about the 2025 Jubilee. This extraordinary event (actually considered “ordinary,” but we’ll get to that) draws millions of people to Rome and involves months of preparation at sites all over the city. For travelers planning a trip around the Jubilee, there’s a rush of excitement at being able to participate in such an important event. However, if you’re planning a trip to Rome that doesn’t involve Jubilee celebrations, you might find yourself making some last minute adjustments or arriving to find longer than usual lines for the places you’ve earmarked to visit. But with the right planning and a bit of background, your 2025 Roman holiday will be a truly unique experience.

What is the Jubilee?

Although we use the word to talk about different kinds of celebrations, the word jubilee actually comes from the Old Testament and was meant to describe a special year where sins, debts and other afflictions are pardoned. In the book of Leviticus, a jubilee occurred every 50 years, but in the 12th century Pope Boniface VIII decreed that it would occur every 25 years. As the centuries progressed, these Jubilee celebrations were known as “ordinary” (falling in the set period of years) or “extraordinary” if a Jubilee year was proclaimed for a particular motive. In 1933, for example, an extraordinary Jubilee was proclaimed to celebrate the 1,900th anniversary of the resurrection of Christ.

The most important feature of the Jubilee ritual is the opening and the final walling up of the “holy door” in each of the four great basilicas which the pilgrims are required to visit in Rome. These are St. Peter’s Basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano and San Paolo Fuori le Mura. The doors are opened by the Pope at the beginning of the Jubilee celebrations, which will be on December 24th, 2024, and then closed by him on January 6th, 2026. All over the world, Catholic churches dedicate a door for the Jubilee year to accommodate parishioners who are unable to make it to Rome. However, the auspiciousness of passing through one of the four holy doors is so powerful that up to 30 million pilgrims will make their way to Rome during the Jubilee year to complete this rite. Along the way, they’ll visit hundreds of sites around the city that are significant to the Catholic Church.

How Will it Affect Rome?

With so many people coming to Rome and circulating in such specific areas around the center of the city, there have been major preparations underway all year to get the city ready to host. And although work technically began in 2021, there are still many construction projects underway that will likely continue into the first few months of the Jubilee year. For instance, the tram lines that connect the Vatican City with other parts of Rome are in the midst of a major upgrade, and many of the most important sights around the area, including Castel Sant’Angelo and Piazza del Risorgimento, have had major detours. All over the city, the most important monuments are being cleaned and restored, meaning that they may be covered in layers of scaffolding until complete.

While the city has promised to be ready for the opening of the Jubilee doors on December 24th, it’s a pretty massive job with inevitable delays. Add to this the entirely unrelated construction work underway in Piazza Venezia, where a new metro line is being dug as part of a project that is expected to last at least 15 years, and you might think that Rome is in a “work in progress” phase. But they don’t call it the Eternal City for nothing, and there is still plenty to see, do and experience during your holiday.

Getting the Most Out of the City

First, get a good pair of walking shoes. Plan to stay in central Rome where you can rely on your feet to get around, as public transport is likely to be crowded and taxis might be fewer and farther between than normal. The Centro Storico will be just as bustling as ever and you’ll even find that iconic sights like the Trevi Fountain (currently undergoing a cleanup) will shine even brighter than usual, so there will be plenty to see on walks around town.

Second, plan your visit well – and well in advance. If your heart is set on visiting major attractions like the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Villa Borghese, get your tours and tickets sorted out as early as possible. Waiting until you’re in town to try to squeeze in a tour may prove to be a difficult task, and you don’t want to be disappointed. However, if you want to visit the Vatican Museums, keep in mind that the lines and crowds will be much larger than usual, so plan accordingly. If you might previously have needed a half day to visit, dedicate a day instead.

Third, remember that you’re visiting one of the greatest cities in the world at one of the most remarkable times. The Jubilee only occurs four times a century, and its a pretty incredible thing to witness. You’ll see people from all over the world coming for a ritual experience that dates back centuries. The minor inconveniences will hardly matter when you think back at this ordinary (and extraordinary!) event that you’ll take part in, from your own corner of Rome.

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